Title: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Simon Pulse 2007

Genre: YA

Pages: 485

Rating: 4/5 stars  Movie: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Book to Movie; 100 YA; NPR Teen; Fantasy Project

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

I enjoyed this volume way more than most of the YA paranormal books I've read in the past.  It wasn't amazing, but at least I was entertained.  I guessed most of the twists in the book, but they weren't completely obvious.  The characters were interesting.  The storyline kept my attention.  I want to know more about the world of the Shadowhunters.  I have the second and third volumes in the series.  I will definitely be reading them soon.

Movie

First starting to watch the movie, I thought "oh okay, it's the same."  But I was mistaken.  As the movie continues, more and more things are changed.  There are some direct quotes here and there and mostly the characters are the same.  However, there are many changes to Valentine and the entire ending is different.  I can't quite decide if I like the changes or not.  I think that if I saw the movie without reading the book, I would have liked the movie just fine.  As I read the book, I had to change my perspective.  They didn't turn the book directly into a movie.  They used the book as a starting off point.  Becuase it isn't a bad movie by itself, I still rated it 4 stars.

Mortal Instruments (DNFed series)

• #1 City of Bones
• #2 City of Ashes
• #3 City of Glass
• #4 City of Fallen Angels
• #5 City of Lost Souls
• #6 City of Heavenly Fire